Fake fines for windscreen wipers in Bratislava: police warn of scam
Fraudulent notices of traffic offences demanding 100 euros have appeared in Bratislava's Dúbravka district. Bratislava Municipal Police warn that these documents have nothing to do with them.
Fraudsters in Bratislava placing fake fines for vehicle windscreen wipers
Fraudulent notices of traffic offences have appeared in the Bratislava municipal district of Dúbravka on Wednesday morning, 4 November, according to topky.sk. Vehicle owners found them under windscreen wipers on Koprivnická street and Karola Adlera street. The documents urge drivers to pay a fine of 100 euros by transfer to a specified bank account.
The forged documents mimic the appearance of official documents from Bratislava Municipal Police, but have nothing to do with them. "We never place payment demands under vehicle windscreen wipers requiring transfer to an account," Bratislava Municipal Police emphasised in a warning on social media.
The police also explained how they actually handle traffic offences. "We can resolve an offence directly with the driver at the scene, the driver may be summoned to the relevant district police headquarters, or, in cases resolved through the institute of objective liability, the vehicle owner is served a payment order through official channels," said the municipal police officers.
The appearance of the fake notice itself also points to the fraud. Bratislava Municipal Police draws attention to the logo at the top of the document, which differs significantly from the genuine one. "One of the most striking features is the logo of Bratislava Municipal Police at the top of the document itself, which bears little resemblance to our genuine logo," the officers stated. They added tongue-in-cheek that although artificial intelligence can accomplish many things today, it did not do a very good job copying their logo this time.
The case is also being investigated by the Police Corps of the Slovak Republic. Bratislava Municipal Police warn that the conduct could have criminal implications — its aim is to extort money from people by using a forged document posing as an official document. "We have, unfortunately, encountered similar attempts in the past," said Bratislava Municipal Police.
Drivers who find a similar notice under their windscreen wiper or doubt its authenticity should not pay anything. They can verify the authenticity of the document by calling the municipal police's free 24-hour line on 159.
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)